The Conformity And Counter-conformity Based On Decision Neuroscience:Comparing Property-related With Health-related Decision-making

Based on the information of attitudes, beliefs or behavior of others (groups), individuals make decisions consistent or inconsisitent with the information, which is called informational conformity or counter-conformity. They are basic forms of conformity behavior or conuter-conformity behavior. It is very important for basic theory development to study the cognitive mechanism of informational conformity and counter-conformity. On the other hand, traditional decision researches tend to focus on property-related decision which can be represented by figure characterization. However, in the real word, a lot of decisions are not related with property but related with life, health and so on (non-figure characterization). Comparing with property-related decisions and health-related decisions, the informational conformity would have difference, since the information of conformity is different. From the comparision, it will help to further explain and understand the deep-seated mechanism of informational conformity. Thi thesis focuses on the comparision of informational conformity and counter-conformity with two different scenarios of property-related decisions and health related decisions. In this study, we select the purchase of stocks as a typical case of property-related decisions and food-buying decision as a typical case of health-related decisions.In order to promote the study of conformity behavior, we review the existing researches and propose the following three research questions.(1) Is there a stable cognitive mechanism of informational conformity?(2) If there is a stable cognitive mechanism, are there any differences on informational conformity behavior between property-related decision making and health-related decision making, and how to present these differences?(3) From this mechanism, are there any suggestions to optimize decision making for property-related informational conformity and health-related informational conformity? We select the stock-buying decision and food-buying decision as typical cases of property-related decisions health-related decisions, respectively. In this study, we take gender, investment experience and other factors in to account on the effect of conformity. To answer these questions, we design and complete four studies.Study1uses questionnaire to investigate the decisions based on property-related or health-related information under the background of purchasing stocks or foods. It focuses on the differences of trust level of information, conformity extent and the decision making speed in the two types of decisions. In addition, it takes the gender factor into account. Study1is focused on the behavioral results and is the basis for the subsequent three studies.Study2, from the perspective of decision neuroscience, uses ERPs (event-related potentials) experiment method to study the neural mechanisms of informational conformity and counter-conformity in the purchase of stock decision. We divide the decision-making process into three stages:information perception, decision-making and the outcome evaluation stage. In addition, we consider the influences of gender and investment experience.Study3and study4use ERPs research method to study the neural mechanisms of informational conformity and counter-conformity in the purchase of food decision. Study3focuses on the information perception stage, and investigates the perception of food with health risk information and the effect of food tastes on the perception. Study4focuses on neural mechanisms of informational conformity in the decision-making stage and the outcome evaluation stage.We integrate the four studies and reach six conclusions as follows:(1) Information category (property-related and health-related) and valence (positive and negative) influence trust level of information. The trust level of health-related information is higher than that of property-related information. Negative information wins more trust than positive information.(2) With regard to conformity extent and decision-making speed, there are differences between decision based on property information and decision based on health information. When the valence of information is positive, there are no differences between two types of decision making on conformity extent and decision-making speed. When the valence of information is negative, higher conformity extent and faster decision-making speed are observed towards the decision based on health information than that based on property information.(3) The neural mechanism of conformity behavior based on property information can be reflected by N400, error related negativity (ERN), feedback related negativity (FRN) and P300component. In the decision of stock purchase, people with counter-conformity behavior perceives and monitors more conflict than people with conformity behavior in the information perception stage and decision making stage, which are reflected by N400and ERN. In the outcome evaluation stage, there are differences in evaluation of outcome between conformity and counter-conformity behavior. Counter-conformity individuals pay more attention to the outcome, and have stronger emotional response to it; Conformity behavior can attenuate individual emotional experience, which is reflected by FRN and P300.(4) The neural mechanism of conformity behavior based on health information can be reflected by N400, late positive potential (LPP), ERN and N400(FRN). In the background of food evaluation or purchase, there are conflicts in the perception of food with health risk information, and different kinds of health risk elicit different emotional response, which are reflected by N400and LPP. In the decision-making stage, people with counter-conformity behavior monitor more conflicts than conformity, which is reflected by ERN component. In the outcome evaluation stage, different kinds of feedback are perceived differently for counter-conformity behavior, but not for conformity behavior, which is reflected by N400(FRN). In addition, food physical information (taste) affects perception of health risk information, which modulates the amplitude of N400component.(5) Gender has effect on the trust level of information. Compared with male, female trust health information more, but trust property information less. However, gender has no stable significant effect on informational conformity and counter-conformity effect.(6) Investment experience has significant effects on informational conformity in the behavioral level. Individuals with no investment experience have higher conformity extent, and are more risk-seeking. This paper is mainly based on stock-buying decision making and food-buying decision making in order to study informational conformity from both behavioral and neural level. There are several innovative points as follows.(1) This study fills the blank of comparative research on conformity behavior under different decision-making scenarios. Previous studies on conformity are performed mainly in different academic fields, with few researches across them. This paper compares conformity effect in property-related decisions (stock-buying decision making) with health-related decisions (food-buying decision making), which bridges the gap. It suggests that relevant government departments pay more attention on negative health information and give high priority to put limited recourses to deal with such problems, because negative health information is more likely to cause panic or instability to the society.(2) This study uses ERPs experimental research method to explain the existence of conformity effect from the perspective of neuroscience. Previous researches on the reasons of conformity have been focused on group pressure, information asymmetry and so on; and counter-conformity has been explained by the need for uniqueness. But these interpretations are subjective descriptive explanations. This study integrates neuroscience perspective and finds that conformity effect is induced since individuals perceive conflict when conducting counter-conformity behavior. Therefore, the individuals should pay a certain amount of cognitive resources and attention to overcoming the conflict in order to achieve counter-conformity. Thus generally, the degree of conformity is greater than that of counter-conformity.(3) This study observes the differences on the evaluation of feedback outcomes after conducting conformity behavior and counter-conformity behavior, and provides evidences from neuroscience perspective. Previous studies on conformity and counter-conformity mainly focus on their definition, motivation and influence factors. Few researches are done on evaluating the outcome after conformity and counter-conformity behavior. The study uses ERPs experimental method and shows differences in subjective evaluation of the feedback towards conformity and counter-conformity behavior. Conformity behavior can attenuate individual emotional experience for negative outcome, while counter-conformity behavior gives rise to the likelihood of more attention towards the outcome, and elicits stronger emotional response to the outcome.(4) This study suggests that food taste modulates the amplitude of N400elicited by health risk information, which provides an interesting insight into N400component. Previous researches on N400mainly focus on match between words or between words and contexts. And N400primarily reflects mismatch or conflict. In this study, N400is evoked by the conflict between food and health risk, but food taste can modulate N400component, which is a new insight into N400.